This invention relates to contact printers, and to a holding device for holding a master and a sheet of film to be exposed, in close facewise contact.
A machine for automatically duplicating a microfiche may include an exposure station, where the master microfiche is positioned on a glass plate, a copy sheet of unexposed film is moved onto the master, light is directed through the master to the copy sheet to expose it, and the exposed copy sheet is moved away from the master to a developing station. Movement of the copy sheet into and out of the exposure station can be accomplished by pairs of rollers that press against opposite surfaces of the sheet. However, such rollers cannot be easily positioned in the middle of the exposure station so as to carry the copy sheet to a position precisely over the master, and then to move away the copy sheet after exposure. A simple mechanism that enabled the use of a roller drive to move the copy sheet onto and away from the master, which allowed the copy sheet to lie facewise in contact with the master at all areas where information is traditionally contained on the master, and which avoided damaging the master, would be of considerable use in the construction of microfiche duplicators and other equipment.